''Pilot Cheats Death '' - Forced Landing WITH NO RADIO !!

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

Daily Mail Reporter

''A lucky pilot told yesterday how he cheated death after a freak accident saw his propeller fall off his plane mid-flight - at 2,300ft.
Neil Rankin, 51, performed an incredible emergency landing in his tiny Tipsy Nipper when the bolts attaching his propeller mysteriously snapped over an Essex reservoir.
Mr Rankin heard a 'thump and a wobble' as the entire propeller came off and then discovered his radio was broken but somehow kept his cool to dodge power lines and land the plane without sustaining a scratch.''

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361755/Pilot-cheats-death-propeller-falls-radio-breaks-down.html

Sounds like a textbook forced landing, no doubt with a bit of luck involved. Well done to Neil Rankin.

What is it with Essex and plummeting Tipsy Nippers ? It wasn't that long ago that G-ONCS went down in the marshes after an incredible 26 turn spin, and just recovered at the last possible moment- he was called Neil as well !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvbS-oHi9ro

Original post

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

cool.... wonder how far the prop went not having to drag that along ;)

Member for

13 years

Posts: 8

Securely fastened bolts wouldn't have ALL come undone during one single flight; they would have become loose over a series of flights. A proper pre-flight check would have picked it up.

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 10,625

Can you say that for absolute certain?
Have you see the bolts in question?
Have you seen the aircraft in question?
What is the metalurgical analysis results of these failed bolts?

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 4,956

Mmmm - I thought that was a rather dogmatic statement as well!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,389

The main thing is the guy is ok and uninjured. I am sure the CAA will do all they need to do to praise or chastise the guy.

It is remarkable that he was able to pull it off without a radio.:diablo:

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

Perhaps he had a good book. :cool: